Exclusive | Parle Namkeen: Aiming for 20% market share

India’s largest biscuit and confectionary maker, Parle Products, has revamped its namkeen products portfolio and will expand the same pan-India. Nankeens will be now available in three categories – Mixture, Bhujia and Dal. The namkeen category has seen tremendous growth in the last couple of years and has been growing at an enormous rate of more than 25 % year on year. Parle Namkeen will be available across popular price points of Rs 5, Rs 10 and Rs 20 per pack for 25g, 50g, and 100g respectively including 25% extra offer.

Speaking to Adgully, Krishna Rao, Group Product Manager, Parle Products said, “Namkeen is amongst the most popular snacks across India, however, even now the number of branded options in this category is limited. The unorganised segment  still account for a substantial market share of this segment. Given the strong brandname, I am confident that the consumer will be induced to sample our products since we have ensured that we offer a quality product at an affordable price point.”

The product that was launched mid last year, was test marketed in selected cities of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, following which; Parle Products is expanding its presence in the Namkeen category across India. The product is now available across kirana stores and modern retail formats. Parle Namkeen will be available in three categories – Mixture, Bhujia and Dal. Under the Mixture category Parle Namkeen will offer Khatta Meetha and Hot ‘n’ Spicy Mixture. The Bhujia category will also be available in two varieties - Bhujia Sev and Aloo Bhujia. The third category is Moong Dal, crispy, tasty and protein rich tea-time snack. The packaging of the product is attractive, vibrant and clutter breaking. There has been maximum usage of bright colors and the house name has also been prominently mentioned on the packs.

The company’s brand Parle-G and a host of other products have been a household name in every nook and corner of the country since Parle Products first began manufacturing about 80 years ago. The Parle name symbolizes quality, nutrition and great taste. With a 40% share of the total biscuit market and a 15% share of the total confectionary market in India, Parle has grown to become a multi-million dollar company today.

Coming back to Namkeen, says Rao, “as a promotional offer we are offering additional 25 % quantity of the product in the initial stage. We have also finalised on a pan-India marketing campaign that will be activated in stages based on the launch of the product in different markets. We aim to garner 20% market share by 2013-14.” The company is exploring a combination of TV, Print, Radio, OOH & new age media like mobile & internet to communicate its message.

Commenting on the competition, Rao said, “we will leverage to promote the product to our existing distribution network. I can safely say that Parle is among the top 5 brands in India when it comes to distribution network, this will definitely help us in getting the new product across to a wider TG.” The company is hopeful that once the consumers start sampling out the product, based on the value proposition that Parle Products provide via a balance between quality and price, volumes will go up significantly. Adds Rao, “There is still a large market opportunity for a branded product in this segment since the existing organised players are only tapping tier I & II cities.

The company is geared to face any problem and resolve it. Says Rao, “It is very difficult to foresee problems. Having said that we are fully geared to resolve any problem(s) to ensure that our consumers get the best offering and a great value proposition.”